


Operation Borres - Part One

by EnchantedbookLover18



Series: Fictober 2020 [12]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Day 12, F/M, Fictober 2020, Fluff, Gen, Prompt 21
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:09:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26974948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnchantedbookLover18/pseuds/EnchantedbookLover18
Summary: Taking a last deep breath of fresh October air, Ellie opened the door to the restaurant at 7.58pm, right on time.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop & Nick Torres, Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres, Ziva David/Anthony DiNozzo
Series: Fictober 2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947187
Comments: 8
Kudos: 28





	Operation Borres - Part One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [indestinatus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/indestinatus/gifts).



> Fictober 2020 #Prompt 21: "this, this makes it all worth it"
> 
> This might not be totally in character because I'm not really familiar with writing some of the characters!
> 
> For Sofia: This is just a small birthday present for you - I hope you like it💕

She was late. And she hated being late. Solving the case had taken longer than expected, her car was still in the workshop, and because she had to stay a bit longer to finish the reports nobody could drive her home and she had to call an uber. Ellie was beyond exhausted and fed up with the world for this day, but she’d made a promise. And she was never one to break promises light-heartedly.

If she was being honest with herself, Ellie was still confused about the text she’d gotten this morning:

_TD: Meet us at La Piazza. 8pm. Hope you’re hungry. Xoxo TD_

Taking a last deep breath of fresh October air, Ellie opened the door to the restaurant at 7.58pm, right on time. Luckily, she’d thought of wearing her new coat over the long-sleeved emerald green dress or she’d already frozen to death walking all the way from where her neighbour had dropped her off – they met outside her apartment by accident, and Mr. Moon offered to drop her off nearby.

Flashing a smile at the desk clerk, the blonde said, “good evening. I’m meeting here with some friends. I believe reservations go under ‘DiNozzo’.”

The man behind the desk nodded, and returned her smile. Looking down at his booking ledger, he replied, “ah, yes. The DiNozzos. If you’d like to follow me, please, Miss. This way.” He gestured to his right and led her to a table at the far back of the room.

“Thank you,” Ellie quickly whispered in his direction before Tony DiNozzo stood already right in front of her, offering a big hug and thereby preventing a clear view of their table.

He patted her back and loosened his grip on Ellie. “Ellie Bishop. It’s nice to see you, as usual.” Tony grinned at her and a feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that something was off. Former special agent Tony DiNozzo was up to something and she was sure to find out all about it soon.

Sooner than she thought. As Ellie returned his greetings and took a step to the side, she gasped. Next to Ziva David, or DiNozzo as she should be called now, sat Nick. Nick Torres, her co-worker whom she’d last seen only an hour ago. “Nick? What are you doing here?”

Nick looked at her wide-eyed. It was obvious that he hadn’t expected to see her there either. His eyes went down to her legs that were bare except for thin nude-coloured tights and up to the generous cleavage that she displayed. He visibly gulped before looking Ellie in the eyes and saying, “Ellie. I didn’t know you’d be here.”

Both looked at Ziva and Tony in turn, expecting an explanation for this _setup_.

But instead of giving one, Ziva stood up from the table and walked towards Ellie, embracing her in a tight friendly hug. “Eleanor,” she greeted chipper. “It’s lovely to see you again. How have you been?”

The woman in question, still slightly frowning in confusion, gave a broad smile. “Good. It’s lovely to see you both too! And I guess congratulations are in order?” Ellie nodded towards Ziva’s clearly visible baby bump.

The dark-haired woman smiled fondly at Tony who wrapped his arm around her from the side, then she replied in Ellie’s direction, “yes, indeed. Thank you! We are very happy.”

The quartet sat down on the restaurant table again now that they were complete, Ellie and Nick opposite Tony and Ziva. Delighted and relaxed chatter filled the table almost immediately and around twenty minutes after placing their order, the waiter came back with their food.

“You two look really happy together,” Ellie smiled affectionately across the table at Tony and Ziva. “I’m glad you finally got your happy ending.”

“Yes, it must’ve been hard to be separated for so long,” Nick added quickly but rowed back immediately once he saw the pained look that crossed Ziva’s face. “Oh, oh no. I’m so sorry, Ziva. I didn’t mean to reopen old sores!”

She made a gesture of refusal, putting on a brave face and a shaky smile. “No, Nicholas, it’s alright. You didn’t. It’s still…difficult sometimes – the demons of the past. But we’re together now. I’m home.”

Tony chimed in with agreement, “she’s back with us. Tali is ecstatic to have her Ima back and I couldn’t be happier. And, I guess, I have to thank you both for that – for reuniting her with us. So, thank you.” He raised his glass for a toast and the others emulated his deeds.

“I don’t know how you did it, Ziva.” Ellie uttered under her breath after a while but the other woman could still here it and gave her a fond, knowing smile.

“I don’t know either. But I know that I had to. To protect my family. And **this,** ” Ziva caressed her baby bump, “ **this makes it all worth it**.”

Ellie smiled vaguely back at her, suddenly deep in thought. Ziva had risked everything, and even lost a dear friend, to get her family back. To make sure they were safe. And overall, she’d had to wait over six years to get her happily ever after with Tony and their child – well, _children_ now. Even longer, considering that they had already been in love long before Tali was born, long before either of them left NCIS. Ellie didn’t get how Ziva did it; how she managed to deny herself true love for so long, and how she could stay apart from her family for years. Rightfully, the former NCIS agent didn’t really have a choice wanting to safe and protect them.

Ellie heaved a weary sigh, quickly glancing at Nick, who sat next to her, in hopes none of those present would notice. _Would she ever get her chance at true love?_ She was a fool if she denied to herself that she loved Nick; more than a friend should love another friend. And deep down, Ellie still hoped that Nick would return these feelings and make the first move. But maybe, he was just as afraid as she was because they’d not only risk their jobs but also their friendship…

The four spent a joyful evening at La Piazza, even ordering tiramisu for dessert, before Ellie and Nick bid their goodbyes to the happy couple with promises to meet again very soon.

After they’d left, Tony looked intently at his wife who stood next to him. “Do you think it worked?” He asked sceptically.

“By the looks Eleanor gave him, I definitely think she’s questioning if the choices she made were the right ones,” Ziva replied with both a wistful and satisfied grin on her lips.

Tony raised an eyebrow and mumbled, “what do you mean?”

“She asked me how I did it, you know. How I could stay away from you and Tali for so long,” her voice was heavy with emotion, “without breaking. I think she wanted to know how and why I waited for so long to get my happy ending with you.”

“Oh,” was all Tony responded as he wrapped his left arm around her body, pulling her close to his chest.

“The look she gave Nick afterwards – of course she probably thought nobody saw - … I don’t know. But I think she’s questioning whether she can keep on waiting for her own happiness, like we did or _had to_ , or if she should just risk it all.”

“So, I take it we think it went well.” A tiny smirk formed on Tony’s lips.

“We do.” Ziva nodded with a smile on her face and looked up at her husband. “Now take me home, Mr. DiNozzo. And call McGee to tell him the good news.”

“Operation _Borres_ is a go.”

She looked at him, an eyebrow raised in disgust. “We do not call them ‘Borres’.”

Tony rolled his eyes playfully. “If anything, they’re ‘Ellick’,” she added sincerely.

“As you wish, mylady,” Tony winked at her before he led her outside and towards their car. Time to get back to Tali


End file.
